Charlton Athletic v QPR

Team: Green, Hughes, Dunne, Hill, Onuoha, Traore, Carroll (Benayoun), Jenas, Hoilett (Keane), Morrison, Doyle (Maiga).

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Suk-Young, Henry, O’Neil

Attendance: 17,333 (including 3,267 R’s fans)

Not just another poor performance, but nothing to suggest this will get any better. Another game, another punt from Harry, another bucket load spent, but still not even close and gone on for too long. No real vision, no youth, no legs, no hunger, just a punt, pass the ball all day long, seasoned pros on serious money!

Once again we have a playing staff that are mugging us off, and bleeding us dry. Harry’s body language says it all, as does Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan, clueless, the game’s up.

What we need is decisive action from this regime who have yet to learn from their past errorsand we need it now.

Jimmy Murray

Ravel Morrison’s QPR debut ended in disappointment after the on-loan West Ham attacker squandered his side’s best chance of the match, before Charlton stole the points at the Valley with a stoppage-time goal to win 1-0.

“We had a great chance to go in front with two or three minutes to go through Ravel Morrison, but he saw the ball too late,” QPR’s manager, Harry Redknapp, told the club’s website. “However, I thought Ravel was excellent today on an almost impossible pitch. He was head and shoulders above anyone on the field.”

Johnnie Jackson’s decisive header from an Astrit Ajdarevic corner secured a first league win since Boxing Day for the home side, and a third defeat in a row for Redknapp’s side, who now sit in fourth place, seven points off the top-two automatic-promotion places.

Redknapp had to make do without the suspended Joey Barton, so Tom Carroll started in midfield, while Morrison made his debut after signing for the rest of the season. Although QPR played the more intricate and neat football in the early stages it was Charlton who could have gone ahead after 12 minutes.

Jordan Cousins hit a cracking drive from almost 30 yards, which hit Green’s upright, before Reza Ghoochannejhad snatched at the follow-up, which came back off Green’s left post with the keeper stranded. Had Danny Green made a better choice, the Addicks may have had another opportunity but he played a reverse pass when Cousins was far better placed.

Redknapp tried to shake things up by replacing Junior Hoilett with the on-loan Manchester United youngster Will Keane in the second-half. Moments later Rangers wasted by far their best opening when an unmarked Morrison lashed a 14-yard shot well wide. And they were made to pay in stoppage time, when Jackson’s last-gasp intervention sealed the points for the hosts.

The Observer

Three defeats in a row and another shambolic performance with 65% possession and not a single shot on target against the worst side I’ve seen this season! The home side should have been 1-0 up at half-time after twice hitting the woodwork with successive shots.

Kevin Bond was quoted as saying this after the game: “If you start looking at the table mathematically then we don’t get beat at Charlton. All we can do now is look at Leeds United and look to get back on track. Get back to where we were earlier in season. As soon as we start looking at bigger picture and promotion then we could be in trouble. We need to focus on next game and getting a point.”

On a more positive note, over 3,000 R’s fans filled the away end which included around 40 who had walked from Loftus Road in aid of the Tiger Cubs. I understand that nearly ¬£13,000 has been raised so far. Well done to them.

Steve Russell

One thought on “Charlton Athletic v QPR

  1. Charlton has been in turmoil this year on and off the pitch. With the previous owners letting the pitch deteriate and getting rid of the players that served us well last season. Steve’s comment about Charlton being the worst side he has seen this season might have to eat his words. We now have real owners who will invest sensibly in the club and is giving one of the brightest young managers in the game support. I was at the game on Saturday and on a very difficult pitch Charlton played some good football with young and very talented players. I am convinced that we will still be in the championship next season with QPR in a much better financial position.

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